Taxi in Vientiane

There have been meter taxis in Vientiane for some time, however I had never had the opportunity to use one until last week.  I took a flight to Luang Prabang and needed a ride to the airport.  My experience with taxis in Laos to date had always been an unpleasant one which included lengthy bargaining and haggling for a ride in an uncomfortable old car. This time I used the invaluable www.laoyp.com to look up a meter taxi company. I soon got in touch with Taxi Vientiane Group Co Ltd, the company that has imported a fleet of comfortable cars from China.  The operator answered my call promptly and gave me an idea of the approximate cost for the trip from my house to the airport.   The taxi driver arrived right on time, stowed my bags for me and then we were off.

The meter begins with a surcharge of 15,000 kip for the first kilometer.  After this it counts 2000 kip every 300 meters. This sounds quite expensive but in a small town like Vientiane where everything is relatively close by, it’s not. The driver was very polite and talkative and he drove very safely.  When I arrived, it cost 79,000 kip, which was roughly the same as what the operator quoted on the phone. This is also a similar price to that quoted by an ordinary (non-meter) taxi to the airport from my house. All in all I highly recommend this service!

You can contact Taxi Vientiane Group Co on +856-21 4541 68 or
+856-20 5820 071.  Next time you’re on your way to the airport, give them a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Watch the official delivery of the first batch of 32 Taxis from China to Laos.